Fernweh, An Ache for Distant Places

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina, and it is located in the center of the state where the Broad River, Congaree River, Saluda River, and Columbia Canal merge into the Congaree River.

It was founded in 1786 and was the first city named after Christopher Columbus (gross), as well as the alleged second planned US city following Savannah, Georgia.

Despite its age, you will not see many original 18th century buildings still standing due to severe destruction that occurred during the Civil War. 

Summers in Columbia are HOT, often described as Famously Hot, which has become both a slogan and a spice level among locals.

Columbia is often abbreviated as “Cola” and it is further nicknamed “Soda City” though it has no known history of hosting a soda manufacturing company. 

Nearly 145,000 people live in Columbia, with a median age of 28, and they are rightfully proud of their impressive ethnic and cultural diversity. 

Columbia is home to University of South Carolina, it has been the set location for over 70 films including The Waterboy, and it is one of the gateways to Congaree National Park. 

Columbia is the birthplace and home of many influential activists, writers, politicians, and sports superstars, actors, and musicians, including Aziz Ansari and Toro y Moi.

Actress Kristin Davis grew up in Columbia and the 90s rock group Hootie & the Blowfish formed there, while singers of Iron & Wine and Band of Horses both grew up nearby.

The notorious Georgia O’Keeffe even taught at Columbia College in 1915. 

Another fun fact for me is that Columbia is a Sister City to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where I have been twice. 

CONGAREE VISTA DISTRICT
Columbia’s main downtown neighbourhood is the Congaree Vista District, and its main street is Gervais. Once known as the Warehouse District, the Congaree Vista went through a extreme revitalization process that was completed in the early 2000s.

The entire district on the National Register of Historic Places as the “West Gervais Street Historic District” and this is where you will find the highest concentration of restaurants, galleries, and shops. 

Columbia’s public transit options are limited, but consider taking the COMET Soda Cap Connector, which follows a designated route to places like the Columbia Visitors Center, the Cayce community, downtown Columbia, and various colleges, restaurants, and hotels you can view a full list of here.

Each ride is exactly one dollar upon entry, and correct change is required. 

For a self-guided walking tour, check out the Sally Salamander Interactive Walking Tour that begins at the Columbia Visitors Center.

Each stop on this tour features a bronze sculpture of the spotted salamander, South Carolina’s state amphibian, who leads you to some of Columbia’s most interesting art, historical sites, and cultural centers. Here is the full list of stops.

MURALS & STREET ART
Mural spotting is one of my favourite things to do, and Columbia did not disappoint. 

One of the most impressive murals I saw was Dream of the Earth Goddess by The Artist Seven. After seeing this triptych on the Trustus Theatre, it clicked for me that I have seen his work in Miami and Atlanta, and more than a dozen of them in the Chattanooga area.

Here are several more that I loved, like this one by an unknown artist inside Savage Craft Ale Works. 

We saw these driving into downtown Columbia from Cayce, and I am so mad that I forgot the artist’s name. All three are on the same building. 

This one is by Maria de Felice at Market on Main. She also painted the murals in Finlay Park’s garden patio. 

This mural is by Girls Who Paint.

Unknown mural, on the same wall as the one above. 

Here is Cait Maloney‘s Lady Vista.

This is Brookland by Brian Tull.

These two murals by unknown artists are located in Curiosity Coffee Bar.

Here is Blue Sky‘s Vista Vision (Fleeting Glance).

Blue Sky also painted the locally famous Tunnelvision mural I sadly did not have time to locate. The giant steel chain connecting the buildings below is his Never Bust installation.

The Pursuit of Opportunity: Celebrating African American Business by Ija Charles is an ode to the historic Washington District.

This is Thomas Humphries’ Rocket Queen outside of Savage Craft. 

Unknown artist, located on Main Street.

Architecture of Strength by Deedee Morrison is located at the corner of Gervais and Main.

I Love You by Bob Doster, with an unknown sculpture in the background.

We were driving past this from a distance and it looks like they are one piece, but they are not connected. 

We stopped by the Columbia Museum of Art to check out two of their current exhibits. 

First was the late Keith Haring‘s Radiant Visions.

It was surreal to connect the dots to the artist whose work I have seen and known of since around 1990, when Haring passed away, and to see how many things he has done that are relevant to my own interests like this album cover featuring Cabaret Voltaire, Hüsker Dü, and other cool bands. 

Haring’s prints were hung throughout multiple rooms, from various collections, like his Pop Shop exhibits that my friend had personally attended in New York many years ago. 

The other main exhibit right now is called Our Story Matters about Black/African-American life and culture in Columbia from the Reconstruction era, through the student activism of the 1960s-1970s, and especially around the historic Washington Street. 

This exhibit is a collaboration between the CMA museum, USC Center for Civil Rights History and Research, and Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters.

Columbia is packed full of art and culture, but you would need to stay there much longer than we did to see it all. On my list for the next visit is to catch shows at Alternacirque, Columbia City Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, South Carolina Philharmonic, and Columbia Marionette Theatre.

HISTORIC SITES & THE HORSESHOE
The Soda City also has an abundance of historical sites and buildings like the South Carolina State House & the State House Museum.

This is Columbia’s most prominent buildings, but I think its backside view is lovelier. 

Walk the grounds to view a growing collection of 30+ monuments like the George Washington Monument, Grave of Swanson Lunsford, Liberty Bell replica, City of Columbia Bicentennial Time Capsule, the Spanish American War Veterans Monument, and the African American History monument park below. 

Like many east coast cities, there is a fair amount of Confederate war history, so there are related markers and memorials. It is what it is. 

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860, a step that led to the start of the Civil War. The first shot was fired from Folly Beach.

Columbia was also the first city to host a World War II Memorial in the United States. 

A few unique events of the Civil Rights Movement in Columbia include: 

-Eight restaurants served Black residents at their counters for the first time in 1962, and the University of South Carolina admitted its first Black students soon after in 1963

-Columbia earned the All-America City award for its work on racial progress in 1951 and again in 1964

-A Newsweek article praised Columbia for liberating itself from “the plague of doctrinal apartheid” in 1965

Be on the lookout for this pretty little spot where you can see the USC Desegregation Memorial and Commemorative Garden.

Speaking of pretty little spots, there is a lot of lore about the State House surrounding gardens being a lucky or even magical spots for students to study and collaborate. 

Whether that holds any merit or not, it is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon. 

Columbia has many historically significant buildings in addition to sites and monuments, including the Robert Mills House & Gardens, Hampton-Preston House, and the Mann-Simmons Site.

The McKissick Museum, located on the historic Horseshoe, is named after the shape of the giant land plot where the original University of South Carolina campus was sat. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can view a collection of frequently changing science exhibits, historical events and info, and folk art in the museum, but take your time walking around outside it to see all the  unique antebellum buildings.  

Some other museums in Columbia include the Fort Jackson Museum, Museum of Reconstruction Era, the previously mentioned South Carolina State House Museum, and the EdVenture Children’s Museum.

Town Theatre is the oldest community theatre in continued use, just a block outside of the USC campus. It opened in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The nearby Nickelodeon Theater has been open since 1979 and features two film projection screens. It is the only only non-profit art house film theater in the state.

PARKS & NATURE
I was completely impressed by the 18-acre Finlay Park that was first dedicated in 1859.

After falling into disrepair over the decades, it went through renovations and reopened in 1990, showcasing a fountain and performances stages.

As luck would have it, Finlay Park went through even more renovations and upgrades in November of 2025, just two weeks before we made our first visit. 

I love how the varying levels of this park look out across the Columbia skyline and how its trail winds around sculptures and murals.

These vibrant murals in the park’s “Secret Garden” are by Maria de Felice, who I mentioned earlier. 

Most travel guides will send you straight for the Columbia Canal & Riverfront Park, and for good reasons. 

Riverfront Park was constructed around Columbia’s original water works system and officially opened to the public in 1983. It is located on the site of the world’s first planned, electrically operated textile mill and hydroelectric plant, and is still operating. 

The nearly 170-acre Riverfront Park divides the Congaree River from the Columbia Canal, and visitors often report seeing alligators swimming below the bridges. Follow the 2.5-mile walking trail for its famous river views. 

Another trail you should know about is the statewide 400-mile Palmetto Trail. A little over 10 miles of the Palmetto Trail cross through downtown Columbia, and that segment is known as the Capital City Passage. The Palmetto Trail can be accessed from Riverfront Park. 

Admire all the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees, but be wary of touching it because it is often infested with bugs like chiggers that burrow deep under your skin. 

The Three Rivers Greenway is a 19.4-miles pathway along Congaree, Broad, and Saluda rivers that you should know about. The trail is said to be ADA accessible and open to leashed critters, but we were unfortunately not able to walk this one.

I also lament that time did not allow us to visit the Riverbanks Botanical Garden, Saluda Shoals Park, Sesquicentennial State Park, or wander around Harbison State Forest. 

Columbia is just miles from the Congaree National Park, one of a few places in the world that is home to Synchronous fireflies. Plan your visit around May or June if you want to see them. 

FOOD & DRINKS
Boiled peanuts and mustard-based barbecue are two trademark specialties of Columbia, but there is not a lot of emphasis or overkill for either in local restaurants. Being so close to Pawley’s Island, where the world-renowned Palmetto pimiento cheese is made, many dishes feature it. 

Curiosity Coffee Bar has a delicious bacon breakfast sammy that was so good, we went back the next day. We had ours with ghost pepper jack cheese on toasted sourdough. We also tried their lavender olive oil muffin and BLT. They make a great latte, they are super inclusive and supportive of local social justice initiatives, and the vibe was right. 

We had a really great dinner at MOA Korean BBQ. They are super heavy on prime cuts of beef (which I do not eat) but also offer pork and chicken. 

My favourite dish of all was the steaming hot kimchi stew. This photo does not do it any justice at all, but I am starting to drool just thinking of it. 

Of course, each meal comes with all the beautiful little bowls of fermented veggies and japchae to dress up your proteins and rice. 

Dragon Room has a great atmosphere, and the food is simple but decadent. 

We both had garlic and ginger rice bowls; mine with scallops and hers with shrimp.

I do not think a single grain of rice was left behind. 

Savage Craft Ale Works is a lively brewery with indoor and outdoor seating. I really like their vibe too. 

Unfortunately it was literally crawling with babies and running toddlers when we went. I find it very difficult to relax around screaming knee-high humans that keep crashing into wobbly adults who are often not paying attention and carrying potentially dangerous glassware.

That is usually a recipe for disaster, but that is on the parents and not the bar staff. Do not let that stop you from visiting this awesome place.

Savage Craft has a really cool logo and a great selection of their own beers. 

Bierkeller Brewing Company is an extremely lively pub with indoor seating, a stage, an outdoor patio, and an extended festival area in the courtyard.

They have a great selection of German beers and German food, and they are located right along the river so you can enjoy the view. 

We rolled in for their Rauchfest and live bands. 

Art Bar was my favourite night time spot between the quirky robot decor, large horseshoe style bar, and separate rooms for comedy shows, live bands, and DJ dance parties. 

Right away we noticed the robots. They were everywhere. 

One of the bartenders had been telling us about a local artist named Clark Ellefson who makes the toys and sculptures, especially a very large one named Fritz that has gained national recognition. 

Ellefson specializes in scrap and found materials, and- get this- he was sitting across the bar from us. 

I am a huge fan of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and seeing this image of Maria in the bathroom just did me in. 

On the subject of dance parties, Columbia locals have their own dance called the Carolina Shag. It is known for being one of the most complex, difficult to remember, and impossible to follow dances known, and sadly I did not meet anyone who could teach me. 

There is always the internet. 

SODA CITY MARKET
Downtown Columbia has a flawlessly multi-cultural street market called Soda City Market. It takes place each Saturday from 9 am – 1 pm and stretches from the 1300-1700 block of Main Street near the Museum of Art. 

Turkish coffee and fresh produce meets handmade jewelry and herbal products, food trucks, and so much more.

My favourite vendor was the puppy behaviour training company that was doing a live demo of recent grads. Just look at these good babies!

CAYCE
Just outside of downtown is the Cayce neighbourhood, said to be Columbia’s most up and coming community. Visit the Cayce Riverwalk Park, the 12,000 Year History Park, and Steel Hands Brewing. 

In the area for a while? Follow me to Congaree National Park, or some of South Carolina’s coastal cities like Pawley’s Island, Folly Beach, Charleston, Georgetown, and Savannah.

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